Metal icon Ronnie James Dio has died. Dio’s wife, Wendy, released the following statement Sunday morning on Blabbermouth.net: “Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. [on Sunday] 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away.” Dio was best known for his … [Read more…]
On Tuesday, two of the most anticipated indie albums saw their official releases. The National dropped High Violet, an album that put Twitter users into a cumulative tizzy when The New York Times streamed the album in full a few weeks ago. The other album is Treats, the debut by Brooklyn “it” band Sleigh Bells. … [Read more…]
There’s a cassette tape sitting on my bookshelf. It’s bright orange, it rattles when you move it just slightly, and the letter “B” litters the orange surface. Tiny Philadelphia-based record label Ticklebutt Records produced the tape. It’s called 75:24 and it’s packed with unreleased songs from a little more than a couple dozen of the … [Read more…]
It might appear that the ultra-abrasive Brooklyn band Parts & Labor has been unusually quiet since dropping its 2008 album, Receivers. Although 2009 was the first year the group went without producing a new album since 2005, the electronics-tinged art-punk act has actually been as productive as ever. “We spent about half of last year … [Read more…]
Few names in pop music inspire the kind of polarizing, passionate responses as John Lydon’s. He kicked his way into the public consciousness with the Sex Pistols in the ’70s: He was featured in the British tabloids as frequently as members of the royal family, angry protesters hung on his every curse word, his words … [Read more…]
New York magazine picked up a YouTube clip of Andy Rooney discussing newfangled artists atop the Billboard charts on a recent “60 Minutes” episode: [youtubevid id=”KGCg6EO-sr4″] Well, Rooney got something right about why he doesn’t recognize any musicians in the Billboard 200: Age. His sincere grasp on reality is refreshing: His understanding that he’s no … [Read more…]
Pitchfork Reviews Reviews, an intelligent and humorous site that critiques album reviews by the popular alt-music site Pitchfork, uploaded a keen little video the other day. The video is a review of a song by Francis and the Lights, and the on-screen action is a written review that follows the pace of the song. With … [Read more…]
Love Justin Bieber, but afraid to reveal it to your punk rock friends? Do you tell your friends that the music you’re blasting on your iPod is the latest pop sensation when it’s really Black Flag’s Damaged? Wish these two worlds could finally meet? Well, XLR8R and Exclaim! music writer and Grown Ups member Josiah … [Read more…]